House Concurrent Resolution 85

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING DR. WALLACE CONERLY, VICE
CHANCELLOR AND DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
MEDICAL CENTER, FOR HIS MANY YEARS OF DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVICE AND
CONGRATULATING HIM UPON HIS RETIREMENT.

WHEREAS, Dr. A. Wallace (Wally) Conerly,
M.D., will retire from his position as Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and
Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center
in Jackson, Mississippi, on June 30, 2003; and

WHEREAS, a member of the Medical Center
faculty since 1973, Dr. Conerly served for 13 years as Assistant Vice
Chancellor for Health Affairs before he assumed his current appointment on
August 2, 1994; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Conerly, a professor of
medicine, served as Medical Director at the Department of Respiratory Therapy
at the University Hospital for 21 years and as Director of the Medical Center
Division of Continuing Health Professional Education from 1979 to 1993; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Conerly's medical practice is
in the field of chest medicine and critical care; and

WHEREAS, as the chief executive officer of
the state's only academic health science center, Dr. Conerly leads an
institution with an annual budget of more than Six Hundred Million Dollars and
a yearly payroll for its 7,200 employees of Three Hundred Million Dollars;
and

WHEREAS, Dr. Conerly is the chief architect
of the medical center's ongoing expansion program, the largest in the history
of state higher education, the first phase of which was completed in 1999 and
included a new children's hospital, a new women's and infants' hospital, a
building for the School of Health Related Professions, an addition to the
School of Nursing, a student union, two parking garages and an imaging center;
and

WHEREAS, in addition, a second construction
phase is now underway which includes a critical care hospital that is already
operational, a new 256-bed adult hospital, a classroom addition, a children's
hospital addition and an expansion to the Arthur C. Guyton Research Complex;
and

WHEREAS, a native of Tylertown, Dr. Conerly
received his bachelor's degree with honors in 1957 from Millsaps College and
his medical degree in 1960 from Tulane University; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Conerly received special
training at the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks
Air Force Base, Texas; completed a fellowship in medicine in the Section of
Cardiology at Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans; and took a residency
in internal medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he
was the institution's Mississippi Lung Association Fellow in Pulmonary Disease
from 1972-1974; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Conerly served in the United
States Air Force (USAF) for more than six years as Director of the Aerospace
Medicine Division for the 3350th USAF Hospital at Moody Air Force Base (AFB),
GA, and Director of Base Medical Services at Vance AFB, OK. Recipient of the USAF Flight Surgeon of the
Year Award in 1962 and the USAF Commendation Medal in 1963, he was honorably
discharged from the Air Force in 1966 at the rank of major; and

WHEREAS, a Fellow of the American College
of Chest Physicians, Dr. Conerly has held membership in many professional
organizations such as the American Medical Association, Mississippi State
Medical Association, Central Medical Society of Mississippi, American Academy
of General Practice, Aerospace Medical Association, American and Mississippi
Thoracic Societies, American Society of Internal Medicine, Association of
American Medical Colleges and the Mississippi Academy of Sciences; and

WHEREAS,
Dr. Conerly served a three-year term as the American College of Chest
Physicians' Commissioner on the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health
Education Programs; served as a former
examiner and member of the Board of Trustees for the National Board for
Respiratory Care; has served on the Mississippi State Medical Association
Council on Medical Education, the Professional Education Committee of the
American Heart Association, Mississippi Affiliate, and the Journal of
Respiratory Diseases editorial review board; and is also the state health
contact for the Southern Regional Educational Board; and

WHEREAS, an active member of his community,
Dr. Conerly has been a member and held leadership roles in various community
organizations including the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross,
Mississippi Chapter, and the Capital Area United Way; past President of the
Rotary Club of Jackson and past Chairman of the Board of Governors of the
University Club; membership on the boards of the Metro Jackson Chamber of
Commerce, Junior Achievement, the Jackson Medical Education District, the
Community Bank and the Community Advisory Council of the Junior League of
Jackson; and

WHEREAS,
throughout his long and distinguished career, Dr. Conerly has received
numerous honors and awards such as the 2001 Hope Award, which is given annually
for outstanding community contributions by the Mississippi Division of the
Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Millsaps College "Alumnus of the
Year" Award in 2002, and he and his wife were recognized as the 2002
People of Vision by Preserve Sight Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Conerly has been lovingly
supported in all his endeavors by his lovely wife, the former Frances Bryan,
and their two sons, Al and Charlie; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this
Legislature to recognize and commend outstanding Mississippians such as Dr.
Conerly, who has dedicated his life and career to improving the quality of
health care and service to the citizens of the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN,
That we do hereby commend and express our sincere appreciation to Dr. Wallace
Conerly, Vice Chancellor and Dean of the School of Medicine at the University
of Mississippi Medical Center, for his many years of dedicated public service,
congratulate him upon his retirement and express our warmest wishes for success
in all his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this
resolution be furnished to Dr. Wallace Conerly, to the Board of Trustees of
Institutions of Higher Learning and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.